Self-supporting coach work or cabin

ABSTRACT

A coachbuilt vehicle has a chassis with uprights having panels attached thereto. Each upright has therein a slot or slots and adjacent panels are formed with inturned flanges or lugs along two opposite edges for engagement in the slots in the uprights.

United States Patent Pennock Apr. 29, 1975 [5 SELF-SUPPORTING COACH WORKOR 1126,5110 8/l929 Norris 52/493 x CABIN 2.260.353 10/1941 Van Alen296/29 x 147L917 5/l949 Wilson 296/28 M [75] In entor: J hannes HermanuJa b 3.028.192 4/1962 Jewell 1. 296/28 M Pennock, Eindhovem Netherlands3.303.6l9 2/1967 .lanccek 52/528 X [73} Assignee: Van Doorne'sAanhangwageniabriek Emdhoven Netherlands Primary Examiner-Robert .l.Spar [22] Filed1 Jan. 3, i973 Arr/slum l:'2\'urm'ne1-Leslie J. PapernerH pp NOI 320746 Attorney,Agwz1.ur F1rmWender0th, Lmd & Ponack [30]Foreign Application Priority Data Fcb. 11. 1972 Netherlands 7201x115 i 1ABSTRACT [52] U.S. Cl 296/29; 52/5 28; 296/28 M A coachbuilt vehicle hasa chassis with uprights having [5|] Int. Cl 862d 33/04 panels attachedthereto. Each upright has therein a [581 Field of Search 296/28 M, 2);52/482, 493. slot or slots and adjacent panels are formed with in-52/528. 735 turned flanges nr lugs along two opposite edges forengugement in the slots in the uprights. [56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 2 Claims. 3 Drawing Figures 758.555 4/l9ll4 Mocslcin52/482 X "INTEBAFRZSETS SHEU 1 {if FIG. 1

1 SELF-SUPPORTING COACH WORK OR CABIN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Thepresent invention comprises a self-supporting coachwork for a vehicle.e.g.. a semi-trailer or trailer of the kind in which the coachwork isconstructed of pan els or plates fastened to uprights on the vehicle.

In order to achieve a construction which is self supporting thefastening of a panel to an upright must be of a non-shiftable characterin order to withstand or support shearing stresses in the wall panels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention. a means offats tening two adjacent panels or plates to an upright or uprightsforming part of the bodywork of a vehicle comprises deforming the panelsor plates along two opposite edges to provide a fixing tongue or tonguesand securing the tongue or tongues in a slot or slots provided in theupright.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. in which:

FIG. I is a partial view in elevation of a vehicle. the coachwork ofwhich comprises wall plates or panels mutually connected with the aid offastening means according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section on an enlarged scale. in the direction ofthe arrows IIII of FIG. I, of the uprights on the vehicle chassis towhich are secured wall panels. and

FIG. 3 is a side view of the wall panels of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referringto FIG. I, there is shown a vehicle chassis C fitted with uprightsindicated at 14 an Ishaped or H- shaped cross section. each uprightincluding a rear flange 4 joined by a web 6 to a bifurcated frontflange. The two limbs 7 of the front flange project laterally from theentrant end of a vertical slot 3 formed in the web 6.

The wall panels 1 are secured in position by bending their oppositeedges at right angles as at 2 to the face of the panel as clearly shownin FIG. 2 so as to form fixing tongues and inserting the abuttingflanges so formed into the slot. By suitably selecting the gauge of thesheet metal or. e.g.. plastics material, of which the panels are made.the panels may be a push (friction) fit in the slots 3.

In the embodiment illustrated the uprights are of H- shapedcross-section and are provided with holes or orifices in the webs 6.This arrangement has the advantage that after the panels have beeninserted into the slots 3 they can be fixed in position by deforming theportions of edge flanges 2 aligned with orifices 5, e.g.. by means of apunch tool. so that a positive interlock is obtained between the panelsand the uprights. This non-shiftable connection with the bodywork oruprights ensures that any shearing stresses are transferred thereto.

Moreover the local impression in the bored holes made edgewise by meansof the punching operation on the plates. will increase the strength ofthe structure.

What is claimed is:

I. In a coachbuilt vehicle including a chassis with uprights and panelsnondetachably and non-shiftably attached thereto. the improvementwherein:

said uprights comprise rigid, non-deformable members extendingvertically upwardly from said chassis. each of said uprights having anI-shaped crosssectional configuration with opposite flanges joined by aweb. each of said uprights having a vertical slot extending through oneof said flanges into said web. and the web of each of said uprightshaving aligned apertures extending therethrough on opposite sides ofsaid slot;

each of said panels comprise members having opposite edges thereof bentalong the entire length of the panel at right angles to the plane of thepanel. thus forming inwardly turned panel flanges;

the adjacent panel flanges of adjacent of said panels being insertedinto the slot of one of said uprights; and

each pair of said adjacent panel flanges inserted in one of said slotsbeing permanently deformed in the same direction transverse to therespective web into said apertures therein to provide nondetachablepanel locking means for preventing removal of said panels from saiduprights.

2. A method for non-detachably and non-shiftably attaching coachworkpanels to the frame of a vehicle.

said method comprising the steps of:

providing rigid. n0n-deformable uprights to extend vertically upwardlyfrom said frame. each of said uprights having an l-shapedcross-sectional configuration with opposite flanges joined by a web;

cutting a vertical slot in each of said uprights to extend through oneof said flanges into said web;

forming transverse apertures in said web to extend therethrough onopposite sides of said slot;

bending opposite edges of said panels, along the entire length thereof.at right angles to the plane of said panel. thus forming inwardly turnedpanel flanges;

assembling adjacent of said panels with the adjacent of said panelflanges in abutting relationship;

pressing the thus abutted panel flanges into said upright slots; and

thereafter permanently deforming said abutted panel flanges in the samedirection transverse to the respective web into said apertures therein.thus preventing the removal of said panels from said uprights.

1. In a coachbuilt vehicle including a chassis with uprights and panelsnon-detachably and non-shiftably attached thereto, The improvementwherein: said uprights comprise rigid, non-deformable members extendingvertically upwardly from said chassis, each of said uprights having anI-shaped cross-sectional configuration with opposite flanges joined by aweb, each of said uprights having a vertical slot extending through oneof said flanges into said web, and the web of each of said uprightshaving aligned apertures extending therethrough on opposite sides ofsaid slot; each of said panels comprise members having opposite edgesthereof bent along the entire length of the panel at right angles to theplane of the panel, thus forming inwardly turned panel flanges; theadjacent panel flanges of adjacent of said panels being inserted intothe slot of one of said uprights; and each pair of said adjacent panelflanges inserted in one of said slots being permanently deformed in thesame direction transverse to the respective web into said aperturestherein to provide non-detachable panel locking means for preventingremoval of said panels from said uprights.
 2. A method fornon-detachably and non-shiftably attaching coachwork panels to the frameof a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: providing rigid,non-deformable uprights to extend vertically upwardly from said frame,each of said uprights having an I-shaped cross-sectional configurationwith opposite flanges joined by a web; cutting a vertical slot in eachof said uprights to extend through one of said flanges into said web;forming transverse apertures in said web to extend therethrough onopposite sides of said slot; bending opposite edges of said panels,along the entire length thereof, at right angles to the plane of saidpanel, thus forming inwardly turned panel flanges; assembling adjacentof said panels with the adjacent of said panel flanges in abuttingrelationship; pressing the thus abutted panel flanges into said uprightslots; and thereafter permanently deforming said abutted panel flangesin the same direction transverse to the respective web into saidapertures therein, thus preventing the removal of said panels from saiduprights.